Okay, let’s get real about this project I tackled last weekend: building a portable wood floor pad thingy for practicing basketball close to home. Didn’t wanna spend a fortune or deal with complicated junk. Here’s exactly how it went down.

The Why and What Stuff I Got

See, my driveway’s all cracked up, and dribbling there feels like wrestling with rocks. Saw folks using fancy snap-together tiles online, but man, those prices! Got annoyed and figured wood could work cheaper. Drove to the hardware store feeling stubborn. Grabbed:

• Some cheap pine planks – they felt light enough to carry around later.
• A box of short screws – longer ones would poke through and stab feet. Big nope.
• Sandpaper – cause splinters suck.
• An old yoga mat – my wife’s busted one she threw out. Perfect for grip and cushion.

Bashing It Together in the Garage

Laid the planks flat in my tiny garage, pushed ’em tight together. Measured twice ’cause cutting wood wrong makes me swear. Whipped out the saw and chopped ’em all to the same size – took forever, arms felt like noodles. Sanded every piece like crazy, wiping off all that rough stuff with an old rag. Didn’t wanna bleed while balling.

Then came the tricky bit: connecting them. Hammering would split the wood, so I pre-drilled little holes and screwed the planks edge-to-edge real careful. Knuckles scraped the concrete floor more than once. Hurt like heck. Finally had this big patchy rectangle of pine boards all linked up.

The Grip and Carry Mess

Stared at my lumpy yoga mat. Cut it kinda straight with scissors – mostly straight anyway – and slapped it under the whole wood pad. Spray-glued that sucker down and weighed it with paint cans while it dried overnight. Kept checking if the mat was peeling. Didn’t wanna slip during a crossover.

Flip it over the next morning, tried a quick dribble. Ball bounced weird, kinda dead. Didn’t feel right. Took chalk and scribbled some court lines anyway. Looks kinda legit from far away, close up? Meh. Added rope handles on two sides so I can lug it around. Still awkward to carry, bangs my knees.

Testing This Thing Outside

Dragged my creation to the driveway. Set it down over the cracks. Feet felt way better than pavement, but running or jumping? Forget it. Too thin, no shock. Dribble drills mostly work though. Wind almost blew it over once. Had to chase a board down the street. Embarrassing.

Does it replace smooth hardwood? Heck no. Does it let me shoot free throws without walking a mile to the court? Yeah, sorta. Worth the $50 in wood? Probably not. But I made something ugly and functional, and for now, it beats standing on concrete.